Renovating our beach house isn’t all sunshine and effortless charm. This week we’re candid about a few projects that have been particularly stressful, and we share one simple thing we did to ease our nerves and remember why we started this renovation in the first place. We also sit down with the cleaning expert behind Clean Mama to get practical tips for keeping a home tidy and organized — including the go-to tools and routines she uses in her own house. Plus: the Instagram account that surprised John, outdoor gear Sherry has been considering, and a playful quiz of our Ikea knowledge.
You can download the episode from iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, and TuneIn Radio — or listen to it where you normally get podcasts. Use this page to find the links, notes, and photos we referenced during the show. If you’re reading in a feed reader, you may need to click through to the post to see the audio player.
Listen to the episode on your preferred podcast platform.
What’s New
- That photo was taken during our day trip to Cape Charles, VA — a much-needed break from beach-house work. We love this stretch of coastline because the water is calm and very shallow (you can see people standing far out and it’s still only shin-deep). When the tide retreats, the kids have a blast exploring tide pools and finding snails and sand crabs.
Update (Sort Of)
- If you want the backstory on our “Family Yearbook” tradition, you can read about it in this post.
- We appreciated the responses when we asked for recommendations to replace MyPublisher. See the Instagram and Facebook posts we referenced — and thanks to the 600+ people who shared their experiences and suggestions.
- Two services stood out most often: Blurb and Mixbook. Shutterfly was suggested frequently too, but opinions were split. We’re still deciding on the final service to use for our yearbooks.
What’s Not
- Apartment Therapy recently published a list of IKEA’s 10 best-selling items, which is a handy overview if you’re shopping there.
- Here are some IKEA pieces we’ve mentioned on the show and that appear around our home:
- The wood-wrapped Expedit (now Kallax) in our son’s room
- White planters we use for both real and faux plants
- The white duvet we have in our bedroom
- Large metal shelving units in our office
- The oversized sectional and storage cabinets in our bonus room (including a discontinued sofa we used to have in the living room)
- Cabinets in the laundry room and built-ins around a window niche in the bonus room
Clean Mama
- Becky from Clean Mama has a great website full of free resources — cleaning printables, DIY cleaning recipes, and practical routines. Her new book, Simply Clean, is also a useful guide for building manageable cleaning habits.
- She offers advice on choosing the right vacuum; her personal favorite is a Miele Dynamic model suited for homes with pets. Picking the right machine can make routine cleaning far less daunting.
- One of her favored tools is a good microfiber duster — a reliable replacement for feather dusters — and she also offers several microfiber cleaning accessories that simplify daily upkeep.
- Becky has a helpful post on cleaning and caring for a mattress using baking soda and simple methods anyone can follow.
- If you missed our earlier episode about cleaning with Melissa Maker, you can find that conversation in Episode #39 for more tips and product recommendations.
Listen to our previous cleaning-focused episode for additional tips and tricks.
We’re Digging
- We’re collecting ideas to encourage the kids to spend more time outdoors this summer. Above are several items we’re considering, from play gear to backyard activities — practical, affordable options to keep kids active and engaged.
- Amazon also offers straps designed to secure equipment to large tree branches, which can be handy for safely installing swings or hanging play gear.
- We mentioned Sky Island as an intriguing option for outdoor play and imaginative exploration.
- We’ve talked about the book Simplicity Parenting before (see Episode #45) and continue to find its ideas about simplifying routines and toys helpful for family life.
- One neighbor’s Instagram account featuring handmade slime surprised John with its popularity — a single video has racked up over 1.6 million views. It’s a reminder how simple creative projects can captivate a large audience.
- For more calming and oddly satisfying visual content, check out accounts and tags focused on printmaking, kinetic sand, calligraphy, and paint mixing. They’re great for inspiration and a relaxing few minutes of scrolling.
If you’re trying to remember which episode covered a topic you liked, we keep a master list of everything we’ve featured in past “We’re Digging” segments so you can find old recommendations quickly.
Finally, thanks to Modsy for sponsoring this episode. They provided a visualization of our home office reimagined as a modern living room — the realistic renderings make it easy to see furniture and layout to scale. Use the promotional code mentioned on the show for a discount on your first Modsy design.
Thanks for listening and following along — we appreciate your support!
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